Thermostatic controller for gas water heaters



B. RYAN.

THERMOSTATIC CONTROLLER FOR GAS WATER HEATERS.

APPLICATION F-[LED NOV; 29,1919.

1,40%,898 Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

w 5 M Fi 2 '5 BERNARD RYAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

THERMOSTATIG CONTROLLER FOR GAS WATER HEATERS.

Specification of Letters Patent. JPaflggntq-gd Jam, 31, 1922,

Application filed November 29, 1919. Serial No. 341,529.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNARD RYAN, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and resident of the cit of New York, State of New York, in thenited States of America, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in a Thermostatic Controller for Gas Water Heaters,described in the following specification and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, that form part of the same.

The principal objects of the invention are, to devise an apparatus forpositively controlling the flow of gas to the burner of gas waterheaters in such a manner as to ensure a rapid opening and. closing'otthe valve, thereby obviating the dangers lncident to back firing and,further to devise a structure which will not be liable to disarrangementof adjustment during installation.

A further and very important object is to produce an apparatus which maybe set very accurately so that it will operate Within a very restrictedrange in change of temperature of the water.

The principal feature of the invention consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts, whereby the operating of thelever directly engaging the gas valve is accelerated by the operation ofa lever introduced between the valve operating lever and the leveractuated directly by the thermostat, and whereby the gas pipe connectionto the burner is brought into close proximity to the main support of thethermostat mechanism.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevational viewshowing the position of the parts when the gas valve is closed.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showlng the position of the partswhen the valve is opened.

Figure 3- is a plan view of the apparatus.

The present invention is an improved structure for the type ofthermostatic con trol wherein the valve is retained closed by magneticforce and in the application of the device herein shown a casing 1 forclosing the thermostatic control apparatus is supported upon a pipe 2connected with the water circulating system of the heating apparatus.

A thermostat 3 preferably ofthe carbon stick and copper tube structureis secured in the base of the casing 1 and extends into the pipe 2.

Within the casing 1 a lever 4.- is pivotally mounted in the bearing lugs5 arranged adjacent to the thermostat and a set screw 6 extends throughsaid lever and bears upon the end of the thermostat, thus forming anadjustable connection between the lever and the thermostat.

The outer end of the lever 4c is formed with a pair of lug projections 7between which is pivotally mounted a lever 8 one end of which extendsover the lever 4 to a point adjacent to the thermostat. Upon one end ofthe lever 8 is secured a steel'armature 9 whlch extends transversely ofthe casing and is adapted to co-operate with the magnet 10 placed withinthe casing.

A valve rod 11 extends through a hole in the end of the lever 8 andthrough an enlarged hole 12 in the lever 4 and a valve 13 is secured tothe end of said rod below the lever 24 and engages a valve seat 14 inthe bottom of the casing arranged close to the connection of the casingwith the pipe 2.

The gas pipe is thus brought close to the large water pipe support andthere will be very little risk of mechanics straining the mechanism inthe connecting of the pipes.

An intermediate lever 15 is pivotally supported between the lugs 16extending upwardly from the bottom of the casing 1 and one end of thislever extends between the lugs 7 of the lever 1 resting freely upon thetop of the lever. The opposite end of the lever 15 is connected with theoutward end of the lever 8 by a coil tension spring 17. This arrangementof levers produces a very rapid movement of the valve.

The thermostat pushing against the lever 4 swings the outer end upwardlycarrying with it the lever 8, thereby tending to lift mov s upwardly itswings the lever 15 upon its bearing thereby moving the outer end in adownward direction. The downward movement pulling against the spring 17tends to swing the lever -8' on its pivot on the lever 1, consequentlythe movement of the inward end of the lever 8 is greatly accelerated.The magnetic pull upon the armature 9 holds the valve closed until the"upward pull of the lever 8 overcomes the magnetic pull and by theaccelerated movement obtained by the mechanism described thegalve fromits seat and as the lever 4:

the action of the valve is extremely rapid. Inversely the action ofclosing of the valve is also rapid, though the quick closing is not asimportant as the quick opening.

Many adjustments may be introduced nto the structure in order to obtainthe desired action in varying the len hs of the several levers but theprincipal a ustment 1s 1n the location of the pivotal point of theintermediate lever 15. The supporting lugs 16 are here shown providedwith horlzontal slots 1 to allow the pivot pin carrying, the lever to beadjusted so as to increase or decrease the length of its leveragebetween its pivot point and the point of contact w1th the lever 4. Thelever 4 is preferably formed with a rounded end surface to engage thelever 15.

In the operation of th1s device, when the temperature of the water 1nthe plpe. 2 reaches a predetermined low point the thermostat liftsupwardly on the screw 6 thereby swin ing the lever4 upwardly on 1tspivot. he free end of the lever 4 engaging the lever 15 swings it on itspivot so that the outward end moves away from the lever 8.Simultaneously the lever 8 is moved upwardly as it is carried on thelever 4. The

pull of the magnet 10 holds the armature 9 and the lever 8 tilts'on itspivot, the outer end moving the reverse direction to the movement of thelever 15. The tenslon of the spring 17 is thus increased very rapidlyand when this tension overcomes the magnetic pull the lever 8 swings onits pivot with a snap action which causes the valve 13 to be lifted fromits seat with a very quick movement thus allowing the full volume of gasto flow into the feed plpe 18 leading to the gas burner.

The gas is fed to the casing through the" inlet 19 and the casing lretains a volume of gas which is immediately released on the lifting ofthe valve from its seat and the burner will be lighted without danger ofbackfiring which is caused by a slow feed of gas mixing with air in thefeed pi e making a lean mixture which explodes in t e bunsen.

When the, temperature of the water is raised to the desired degree thethermostat recedes and allows the lever 4 to swing downwardly. .Thisallows the levers 15 and 8 to swing upon their respective pivots whilethe lever 8 is lowered directly and when the armature reaches the zoneof influence of the magnetic pull of the magnet it is pulled down with asnap and the valve is lowered to its seat where it is retained closed bythe outlet to the burner, a valve controlling the outlet, a pair oflevers pivotally connected and operating the gas valve, a thermostat andmagnet controlling said levers, of a lever interposed between theaforesaid levers and imparting an accelerating movement to the leverengaging the gas valve.

2. In a thermostatic controller for gas water heaters, the combinationwith a casing connected with a gas supply and having an outlet to theburner, a valve controlling the outlet, a pair of levers pivotallyconnected and operating the gas valve, a thermostat and magnetcontrolling said levers, of a lever interposed between the aforesaidlevers having one end thereof engaging the lever connected with thethermostat, and a tension spring connected to the free end of theintermediate lever and to the free end of the lever operating the gasvalve.

3. In a thermostatic controller for gas water heaters, the combinationwith a casing connected with the gas supply, a thermostat, and a leveroperated by saidthermostat, of a gas outlet from said casing arrangedintermediate of the length of said lever, a lever pivoted intermediateof its length on the free end of the aforesaid lever, a valveoperatively connected with the inward end of the latter lever andclosing said gas outlet, and a lever pivotally supported intermediate ofits length from said casing and having its inward end engaging the freeend of the thermostatic lever and its outward end flexibly connectedwith the lever supported on the thermostat lever.

4. In a thermostatic controller for gas water heaters, the combinationwith a casing connected with the gas supply, a thermostat, and a leveroperated by said thermostat, of a gas outlet from said casing arrangedintermediate of the length of said lever, a lever pivoted intermediateof its length on the free end of the aforesaid lever, a valveoperatively connected with the inward end of the latter lever andclosing said gas outlet, a lever pivotally supported intermediate of itslength from said casing and having its inward end engaging the free endof the thermostatic lever and its outward end flexibly connected withthe lever supported on the thermostat lever, and a coil tension springconnecting the free end of the latter lever with the free end of thevalve supporting lever.

BERNARD RYAN.

